WINTER 2021
Charter Oak Bridge, I-91 NB Corridor, and Interchange 29
IN THIS ISSUE » Industry Insights: Infrastructure, Buildings and Power for Every Local Community » Responsibly Improving the World We Live In: Featured Projects » CHA News » Technology: Will it Fit? » Health & Safety: Driving After Dark
Industry Insights Infrastructure, Buildings and Power for Every Local Community T
he Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, signed by President Biden on November 15, provides an historic investment of $1.2 trillion over five years to fix, upgrade, and build the infrastructure this country needs. We have under-invested in our roads, bridges, water systems, and utility grids for too long. Safe, resilient, and reliable infrastructure is the backbone of a thriving nation and every local community seeking to provide a high quality
Responsibly Improving the World We Live In
of life. From safe roads and bridges to clean water and resilient energy and accessible broadband, life today depends on sustainable and durable structures and utilities. Investing in infrastructure has always been important and there's universal understanding that repairs, replacements, and improvements have been put off for too long. The time has come to fix it, upgrade it or build it now.
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We know our states and local communities, and we know infrastructure – roads, bridges, airports, water systems, energy, rail, ports, the environment, and broadband. We know how essential and transformative this funding is:
CHA was founded on designing innovative, sustainable solutions for the most challenging infrastructure projects, and with nearly seven decades of experience, we have the expertise and experience to be part of the largest and most significant investment in our nation's infrastructure in generations. Our team stands ready to study, guide, design, manage, and build with you as your trusted advisor and partner. Let's harness our collective efforts and drive the change we need to build infrastructure, buildings and power to serve every local community for generations.
For more information on the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, contact Government National Market Director Erin Crotty at ecrotty@chacompanies. com.
ExCHAnge: Winter 2021 | Page 3
Featured Projects Monon Trail Bridge | Indianapolis, Indiana From downtown Indianapolis, the Monon Trail runs north more than 10 miles through the city, and then stays on a northbound trajectory to Carmel and Westfield. It has more than 1.3 million users each year and is one of the nation's busiest urban greenways. For years a stroll along this popular trail would often be cut short at 38th Street because trail users would avoid crossing six lanes of highspeed traffic. The new 400-foot, 5-span bridge designed by CHA carries the 16-foot wide Monon Trail over the six lanes of 38th Street. The bridge opened in March 2021 and has significantly improved safety and mobility for trail users, connecting downtown Indianapolis to northern Marion County and beyond. This project was a Merit Winner in the Engineering Category at the recent Indy Chamber Monumental Awards, recognizing projects that improve the built environment in the nine-county Indianapolis region.
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U.S. Soccer Foundation Mini-Pitches | New York City, NY The CHA Sports team has partnered with the U.S. Soccer Foundation for several years to develop soccer facility "mini-pitch" concept plans for locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The majority of the sites recondition large, underutilized areas of asphalt within the playgrounds serving neighborhood schools and parks. The sites now feature customized mini-pitches which are small, hard-court surfaces perfectly suited for organized soccer programs and pick-up games. Mini-pitches are designed for urban areas and other communities where finding a safe place to play can be difficult. To develop each site, CHA worked directly with
local parties to meet the needs of youth in each community. The New York City sites and sites across the country are featured on a new interactive map developed by the U.S. Soccer Foundation. CHA has designed and planned soccer facilities alongside the U.S. Soccer Foundation for sites in California, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, Texas, Indiana, Louisiana, Connecticut, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC, and now nearly 50 mini-pitch sites throughout New York City.
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Belmont High School | Belmont, MA CHA is serving as Owner's Project Manager for the Town of Belmont for the Belmont Middle and High School Expansion and Renovations project. This phased school project includes renovation of the existing school and a major expansion to include added facilities and incorporating grades 7 and 8.
and specialized spaces for music, media and the arts, and beautiful natural light. The MSBA-funded project is being designed and constructed Net Zero Ready. The design includes a comprehensive strategy involving more than 300 geothermal wells and rooftop photo-voltaic panels. There are no fossil fuels connected to the building.
The 445,100 SF, nearly $300 million project consists of an extensive, phased and occupied renovation along with the new construction of an addition. The new school will ultimately feature improved Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility, improved health and safety standards, video production space, makers spaces for robotics and engineering, science labs, and a heating and cooling system supplied by geothermal wells. It will also feature a lot of high-tech
The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023 when the building's seventh and eighth-grade portion will be finished. The fall of 2021 introduced 1,350 high schoolers to the new space on the first day of school.
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Photo credit: Castle Photography, Inc.
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CHA News CHA's Heather Wyld, PE, Named to Engineering NewsRecord National Top 20 Under 40 The ENR Top 20 Under 40 represents the best of emerging leaders in the AEC Industry from across the country. READ MORE
CHA Ranks as Top Architectural Firm CHA’s architectural team receives well-earned recognition on listing of top firms.
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Chief Growth Officer Jay Wolverton, PE, Nominated as ACEC National Chair-Elect CHA’s Wolverton will lead the national industry group in 2023.
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Indiana Office Moving in Early 2022 One of CHA’s largest offices is moving to new space in downtown Indianapolis.
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Major Milestone Celebrated on LargeScale Bridge Project in Connecticut The Charter Oak Bridge Project recently celebrated a milestone with the new I-91 NB Exit 29.
READ MORE ExCHAnge: Winter 2021 | Page 7
Industry Insights | Will it Fit?
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O
ne of the challenges engineers face is utilizing an existing space or building in a way that was not originally intended. This very challenge was presented to the engineers tasked with renovating the Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park Pool in Yorktown Heights, New York. This 1960s-era pool, with a capacity for 4,000 swimmers, is New York's largest public pool. Instead of constructing an expensive new building to store modern pool pump and filtration equipment, associated piping, and a new surge tank, the roughly 60-yearold existing filter building was renovated. The building was not designed to house the new modern equipment, so the layout was meticulously modeled in 3D using Autodesk Revit® software. This modeling was essential for ensuring the equipment would fit and be completely functional and accessible for maintenance. In addition to the layout, the team faced the challenge of installing the new equipment into the existing space. The most feasible method for getting the new equipment into the building involved removing large windows on the upper level and booming the new equipment through the opening. Once inside, the equipment was arranged to fit snugly within the small footprint. A steel grate platform above was then replaced, and new Kalwall translucent structural panels with fans and louvers were installed in the opening left from the window removal. The design team also used an Autodesk Revit 3D model to provide stakeholders an accurate visual of the completed pool. Beyond its use to help others visualize progress, building information modeling software was critical to laying out the pool, buildings, landscaping, and supporting systems. The
software's precision prevented discrepancies between design and construction, which could have caused unacceptable delays. The new pool's concrete shell was constructed inside the park's original swimming pool, resulting in a surface area of nearly 42,000 square feet and a water volume of approximately 1.3 million gallons. A new zero-entry pool section now offers a slope toward a 9-foot-deep end and is decorated with 26 colorful water spray features. To ensure no loss of a swimming season at the pool, most of the work was performed during the winter off-season, which is highly unusual for pool construction. Recognizing the complexity of this project, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Park Pool project earned a Platinum Award in the ACEC New York Engineering Excellence Awards. For more information on the use of Autodesk Revit 3D modeling, contact Principal Engineer & Project Team Leader, Johnathan Hickok, PE, at jhickok@chacompanies.com.
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Driving After Dark
Seven Night Driving Safety Tips
December brings us the shortest days of the year, which means we're doing a lot of our driving after dark to and from work, school and play. Driving in the dark requires extra vigilance and specific safety measures. Winter weather can make driving after dark treacherous. Be
1. Avoid driving when you are tired Driving when you are tired is never a good idea, but it is very risky at night. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), most drowsy driving crashes occur between midnight and 6:00 a.m.
aware of the outside temperature, the weather forecast, and plan your route accordingly. To help alleviate some of the risks of driving in the dark, we've created a list of some easy and effective tips to get you there safely after the sun has set.
2. Check your lights and understand the use of high beams Having lights that are in good working order is critical. It is important to know how to use your lights, when to use your high beams, especially on dark, rural roads, and when not to use them so that you don’t blind oncoming traffic. Turn your high beams down when oncoming traffic is within 500 feet of your vehicle.
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3. Clean your windows and windshields
6. Don't speed
Lights glaring on your windshield and windows can be distracting, and when these surfaces are not cleaned (including removal of snow and ice), your visibility is impacted significantly.
When the sun has set, slow down and adjust your speed accordingly. Increase your following distance (four seconds of following distance under normal conditions).
4. Be extra aware of your surroundings
7. Watch for pedestrians and bicycles
Keep your eyes moving to avoid “tunnel vision.” The darkness can make it difficult to navigate turns and roads that are not well marked. Be aware of the terrain and adjust your speed based on your surroundings.
It is always a good idea to watch for pedestrians and bicycles, but a driver must be especially watchful in the dark, especially on roads where people walk, bike and move about on foot.
5. Watch for hazards in the road, including animals
For more information, contact Corporate Health & Safety Director Tony Tremblay, CSP, CIAQP, at atremblay@chacompanies.com.
It is much harder to see road hazards, especially animals, at night. Be watchful for signs that indicate animal crossings and be mindful if your route takes you through a park or rural area where animals are likely to be seen. Scan ahead for hazards in or near the road or entrances.
ExCHAnge: Winter 2021 | Page 11
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